


Three years apart

by stjarna



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Exes to Lovers, F/M, Huntingbird implied, Minor Angst, Reunion after breakup
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-08-20 23:57:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20236501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stjarna/pseuds/stjarna
Summary: Three years after they split up, Jemma Simmons and Leo Fitz meet again when Jemma’s half-brother, Lance Hunter, gets married at the ranch in Australia where they met.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Big thank you to @dilkirani and @lilsciencequeen for the beta.

Jemma’s lips pulled into a wide smile when she saw Hunter leaning against a column in the arrivals area of the small airport. He pushed himself off it when he noticed her, grinning one-sidedly as he walked closer. She hugged her half-brother tightly, letting out a surprised “oof” when he picked her up for a moment before setting her back down.

“Ready to see your big brother get married?” Hunter asked, smirking cockily.

Jemma raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips. “Ready? Yes. Believe it? I will when I see it,” she teased.

Hunter scoffed, reaching for her bag and taking it from her. “Well, let’s go then and make you a believer.”

* * *

Jemma forced her eyes away from the familiar landscape that flew by as Hunter sped down the dusty road. She hadn’t visited in far too long. She looked at her half-brother. “So, have a lot of people arrived already?”

Hunter glanced sideways, before focusing back on the road. “Well, most folks are locals. Most of the ones who aren’t are staying at the hotel in town.”

“Hmm,” Jemma hummed. “But—um—but some are staying at the ranch?” she asked, noticing immediately that her tone had been far from casual.

Hunter chuckled, one side of his mouth ticking into a teasing half-smile. “Yes, some are.”

She could tell that he left his statement hanging in the air deliberately, waiting to see whether she would follow-up on her own.

Eventually, he sighed in apparent resignation. “He arrived yesterday,” he remarked quietly. “Staying in the station hand quarters like in the good ol’ days.”

“Mmm,” Jemma hummed in acknowledgment, her mind suddenly flooded with memories of times gone by.

“He worked on the ranch for years,” Hunter added a bit more loudly, a hint of annoyance in his tone. “One of Bobbi’s closest friends. We asked you if you’d be alright with it.”

“I am,” Jemma replied firmly, furrowing her brow disgruntledly.

Hunter looked at her sideways, one eyebrow raised skeptically.

Jemma rolled her eyes. “Hunter, Fitz and I separated three years ago. We’ll be fine. My brother and his best friend are getting married. It’s only natural that we would both attend. I appreciate your concern but it’s completely unwarranted. Fitz and I were friends for years before—”

“Fitz always had feelings for you,” Hunter interjected. “It was just you who took—”

“We were friends for years,” Jemma repeated sternly, not wishing for her half-brother to continue his objection to her portrayal of her relationship with Fitz. “We dated for awhile—”

“Umm. You confessed your feelings for him the day you were supposed to leave for Africa to run a vet clinic,” Hunter paid her interjection no heed. “You got together that day, and he followed you to Africa, where you lived together for almost a year before—”

“I don’t need a recap,” Jemma barked, maybe more harshly than necessary. “We dated for awhile. We broke up. We’re adults. It’s been three years. I’m looking forward to seeing him again. No awkwardness. No hard feelings. And from what you’ve told me, he assured you of much the same. So, end of discussion.”

Hunter sighed deeply. “Alright. Fine.”

Jemma bobbed her head, her eyes wandering to the road in front of them. She let a blanket of silence cover their previous conversation, before deciding to change the topic. “When you visited your little sister in the Australian Outback all those years ago, did you ever think you’d end up staying, working at a local ranch, becoming its overseer, and eventually marrying the owner?”

Hunter laughed out loud. “I think we both know the answer to that question.”


	2. Chapter 2

Jemma strolled down the dusty path until she reached the wooden fence. She drowned out the background noises, resting one boot on the lowest rail, crossing her arms in front of her chest, and leaning on the fence, her gaze fixed on two horses grazing at the top of the slope. Even though Hunter had loaned her one of his Western hats, the sun still blinded her. She used one hand to shield her eyes, squinting to get a better look at the animals. She smiled when she recognized Zephyr. She brought two fingers to her mouth and whistled loudly. The stallion raised his head, looking in her direction.

“Come on, boy,” she called, whistling a second time. Her face lit up when the beautiful black animal started galloping towards her, coming to a graceful stop on the other side of the fence.

“Hey there, gorgeous,” Jemma sang softly, reaching up to pet the horse. “Haven’t forgotten your favorite vet yet, huh? No, of course not.” She chuckled when the second horse appeared next to Zephyr, nudging Jemma’s hand for attention. “Well, hello, I don’t believe we’ve met before. You sure are a beauty, as well. Hunter and Bobbi will have to introduce me to all of you newbies.”

Jemma’s head spun around when she heard a muffled voice cursing loudly from the car shelter.

“Come on, you ruddy excuse for a—will you please—come—on—” The voice morphed into strained groaning, and Jemma could tell that the body that was attached to the legs sticking out from under the dusty, old ute was desperately trying to loosen something underneath the hood.

Suddenly, the legs started kicking wildly, accompanied by a disgusted “Oh, bloody hell!”

Jemma’s eyes widened as she watched Fitz scramble to scoot out from under the car. He sat up, and she couldn’t help but laugh when she saw his face and torso covered in black oil.

He looked up in surprise, his hands fishing for a rag on his toolbox to wipe off his face.

“Hi,” Jemma said, shyly, walking up to him.

Fitz cleared his throat as he got up, his hands scrunching up the dirty rag, one side of his mouth pulled up into an awkward smile. “Hi.”

Jemma gestured at his face. “You, um, you missed a spot.”

Fitz chuckled, wiping across his face another time but not making much progress. “More than one if I had to guess.”

Jemma laughed quietly, reaching for the rag in his hand. “Here, let me help.”

Fitz nervously bunched up the rag in his hands, as if he wanted to make it disappear, before tossing it back onto the toolbox. “Thanks. I—I got it.” He shrugged, tucking his hands into his pockets. “Probably no use to do it now anyways. Have to get back under the ruddy thing.” He ticked his head in the direction of the car.

Jemma ignored the slight sting in her heart that his defensive reaction had caused. “I can’t believe you arrived yesterday to attend a wedding and they’re sending you right to do chores,” she remarked, hoping her tone sounded genuinely chipper.

Fitz waved her off. “Nah. I offered. Hunter mentioned that his ute has given him troubles, so I said I’d take a look.”

Jemma raised her eyebrows. “You took a very close look indeed.”

Fitz scoffed in amusement, biting his lower lip and bobbing his head in agreement, before shaking it side to side. “At some point he’s just going to have to buy a new one.”

“He probably should.”

Jemma swallowed, panic filling her at the sudden void in their conversation.

Fitz inhaled slowly. “So, you arrived.” The words were somewhere between a question and a statement.

Jemma nodded. “Indeed I have.”

Fitz raised his chin in the direction of the pasture. “And went straight for the horses.”

Jemma glanced over her shoulder, chuckling quietly and raising her shoulders apologetically. “What can I say? I miss them.”

Fitz’s expression softened, the corners of his mouth quirked up gently. “Something your job doesn’t offer you much of these days.”

Jemma scoffed. “No.”

Fitz sighed, his body language seemingly more relaxed. “So, did you get the whole ‘You’re sure you’ll be fine seeing her again?’ speech, too?”

Jemma couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “They may have switched the pronoun in my case, but yes.”

Fitz shook his head, tapping the ground with the tip of his boot. “People need a new hobby.”

“Yes.”

Fitz exhaled sharply, gesturing over his shoulder with his thumb. “Alright. I should get back to this thing, and then take a shower before dinner.”

Jemma bobbed her head in understanding. “I won’t keep you. There are a few other animals I want to say hi to.”

“Of course there are,” he teased with a twinkle in his eye.

Jemma smiled, before spinning around on her heels to head back to the horses.

“Hey, Jemma.”

She turned back. “Yes?”

Fitz lifted his chin in her direction. “It’s good to see you.”

Jemma felt her body relax at his words, a familiar warmth radiating through her. “It’s good to see you, too, Fitz.”


	3. Chapter 3

Jemma fixed her hair in the mirror and straightened her dress before exiting the loo, ready to return to the festivities when she noticed Fitz, sitting on the stairs leading down from the porch. She couldn’t help but smile. Of course he’d sit on the other side of the building, away from the hustle and bustle to have some quiet time and recharge. He’d taken off his tuxedo jacket and rolled up his sleeves, tipping his head back as he took a sip from his beer bottle, the sunlight glistening in his soft curls. 

During dinner the previous night, Hunter, Bobbi, and the other guests had dominated the conversation, and Fitz had excused himself quickly, never giving Jemma a chance to chat more than those few words they’d exchanged at the car shelter.

She took a deep breath and stepped into the kitchen, grabbing a beer from the fridge and opening it before exiting through the porch doors at the other side of the room.

“Hey,” she announced herself quietly, trying to sound nonchalant and chipper.

His head spun around in surprise and Jemma was relieved to see a smile flash over his face. “Hey.”

She lifted her chin in the direction of the spot next to him on the porch. “May I?”

Fitz’s eyes widened for a moment, before a quiet chuckle escaped him. “Of course.”

Jemma couldn’t stop her lips from pulling ear to ear. She sat down and adjusted her dress, before lifting her beer in his direction. “Cheers.”

“Cheers.” Fitz accepted her toast, clanking the bottom of his bottle against hers, before taking a sip, his gaze wandering to the distance.

“It was a lovely ceremony, wasn’t it?” Jemma remarked, trying to ease into a casual conversation with him.

One corner of his mouth ticked up, his expression softening. “Yes, it was.”

“Bobbi looked absolutely gorgeous,” Jemma contemplated aloud. “Though admittedly, when does she ever not look stunning?”

Fitz scoffed in amusement but only nodded in reply.

“So, you’re managing a farm for runaway teenagers now, right?” Jemma asked, trying to steer the conversation into more personal matters, unable to take her eyes off him to gauge his reaction.

Fitz glanced back at her, bobbing his head. “Yep. I handle the farm, the animals, the equipment. The kids are more—” He furrowed his brow. “They have folks better suited to the job. Less grumpy. Well, except for May maybe. She can be a bit of a drill sergeant, but Coulson and Daisy—” He paused, clearing his throat. “Don’t need to go into that much detail, do I?”

“Oh, no, I’d love to hear more.”

Fitz pressed his lips into a thin line, nodding slightly, before replying quietly. “Maybe some other time.”

“Oh, alright.” Jemma wrinkled her forehead, surprised and a little hurt by his distant reaction. She looked at her lap, trying not to let the silence become too uncomfortable. “So, um, when you left the ranch after you came back from Africa, did you—were you ever—Did you ever consider going back to Scotland?”

Fitz took another swig from his beer, staring into the distance. “I left Scotland when my mum died. Got about as far away from there as I could.” He finally looked at her, shrugging. “There’s nothing there for me. Australia’s my home now. Been for a long time.”

The corners of Jemma’s lips ticked up briefly. “Right.”

“So, how’s Africa?” Fitz suddenly asked, the genuine interest in his tone surprising Jemma maybe more than his question. “Davis and Piper still snarking at each other at every opportunity?”

Jemma furrowed her brow in confusion. “Oh, um, I’m sure they are, but—um—I’ve been living in Melbourne for the past year.”

Fitz narrowed his eyes. “What?”

“Um, yes, after my accident, I just couldn’t—I mean not just physically, but also mentally. I needed a lot of rehab, so I moved to Melbourne for that and then an old friend from veterinary school offered me work at his clinic, and so—”

Fitz shifted in his seat to look at her more directly. “What accident?”

“The—the lion—” Jemma stammered, slowly realizing that he apparently had no clue what she was talking about. “I—I assumed Bobbi and Hunter would have—”

“The lion?” Fitz exclaimed, a hint of anger in his voice. “What on earth happened?”

Jemma exhaled a stuttering breath, clearing her throat to try and gain more time to prepare herself for retelling her nightmare. “We—we were called to the reservation,” she began calmly, not daring to look at him. “An injured lion. Everything seemed fine. We used the tranquilizer dart. He was sedated. I examined him and—and suddenly I see this movement in the corner of my eye, and then—” She pressed her lips into a thin line, noticing her heart beat faster with anxiety as her memories flashed before her like scenes from a movie. “Then everything happened so fast—I just remember this deafening roar and the sudden pain, people shouting, and then a loud bang, a weight collapsing on top of me, making it impossible to breath.” Jemma swallowed against the sudden dryness in her throat, acid creeping up her esophagus, as her eyes filled with tears. “I can still taste the blood,” she admitted, barely above a whisper. “I don’t even know if it was his blood, or mine, or both, but—And then the weight lifted and—and I remember Piper and Davis shouting my name, seeing their faces like through a fog. And then everything went black. I woke up nine days later in so much pain that part of me wished I was dead.” She scoffed. “It was a bit of a miracle that they managed to control the bleeding, get me to a hospital, that the lion hadn’t damaged any major vessels or nerves. Hunter and Bobbi came right away—” She looked up, lifting her shoulders apologetically. “I—I assumed they would have mentioned—”

Fitz’s mouth hung loosely open, his expression one of utter disbelief. “I remember calling the farm at some point and Elena said they were visiting you, but I—I assumed they were visiting you like—like you visit your family—they never—”

“Hey, there you two are. Bob and I were—”

Jemma turned her head, startled by Hunter’s sudden interruption, whereas Fitz had jumped up the second he recognized her half-brother’s voice, his eyes furious with anger. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“What?” Hunter asked in bewilderment.

Fitz fanned one arm out in Jemma’s direction. “Why didn’t you tell me about her accident?”

Hunter raised his hands in defense. “Fitz, mate, we—we didn’t feel like it was our place.” He gestured at Fitz and Jemma. “You two had been broken up for almost two years. You had your new job, your new life. Things were—”

Fitz pointed at Jemma, growling through gritted teeth. “She could have died! She could have died and I had no—”

He stopped himself, his nostrils flaring with ragged breaths. Jemma noticed a shimmer of tears that grew thicker with each blink of the eye, before he spun around and stormed down the footpath away from the main building.

“Fitz!” Hunter called after him, taking a step towards the porch stairs.

Jemma put her hand on her brother’s shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. “Let me.”

Hunter looked apologetically at her, slumping his shoulders. “Everything back then—I mean when I got the news that you—My little sister was in a coma, more dead than alive. He honestly wasn’t that high on my list of priorities in that moment, and then later—We weren’t sure if you wanted him to know. And then time passed and we just—it never came up.”

One corner of Jemma’s lips ticked up into a reassuring smile. “It’s alright.”

Hunter shook his head. “No, it’s not. He’s right. He had a right to know.”

Jemma squeezed his shoulder. “I’ll talk to him.”

Hunter lifted his shoulders. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“I understand. I really do,” Jemma reassured him, looking straight at him. “Go back to your wedding. Enjoy your day. It’ll be alright.”

Hunter bobbed his head, though his expression told Jemma that his mind was still racing with guilt. He exhaled sharply, before turning around and heading back to the wedding venue through the kitchen. 


	4. Chapter 4

Jemma exhaled sharply before knocking on the door to Fitz’s room in the station hand quarters. “Fitz, open up. Please.”

Jemma furrowed her brow, listening to the silence behind the door. She closed her eyes, losing hope that he would respond, when the squeaky door suddenly opened. Jemma looked up and was greeted by Fitz’s tear-rimmed eyes staring back at her.

She slumped her shoulders, shaking her head apologetically. “I’m sorry, Fitz. I really thought they would have told you. But it makes sense,” she continued, noticing how the words flowed out of her mouth faster and faster. “When it happened, Hunter had so much on his mind, and then later—they didn’t know what we wanted to know about each other’s lives, because we had broken up, and—”

“You almost died,” Fitz interrupted, lifting his shoulders and staring at her intensely. “How can it even be a question whether that’s something I should—” He paused, fanning his arms out to the side. “And, and alright, so they were busy, they weren’t sure, they forgot. But what about you?” He gestured at Jemma with both hands. “You thought I knew? And what? Did you think I didn’t care?”

“I—I don’t know.” Jemma shrugged. “I—It wasn’t something I wanted to dwell on. Recovery was hard enough without trying to think about what you—I had no right to expect anything,” she yelled back, matching the tone of his voice. “We were broken up. You had your life. I had mine. Maybe I just assumed—”

“I would have cared!” Fitz screamed, pressing his fingers into his chest. “I’ve always cared! You’re the love of my life, Jemma. Breaking up never changed that. I didn’t break up with you because I stopped loving you, or because you did something horrendous, I broke up with you because—”

“I know,” Jemma barked back, tears starting to creep into her eyes. “I know you were miserable there and I understood, and—”

“You almost died, and I didn’t know,” Fitz interjected, his voice still loud but his anger mixed with fear and sadness. “I wasn’t there. You could have died, and I—”

“But I didn’t!” Jemma screamed at full volume, her voice croaking with emotion. “I’m alive. I’m here.”

Jemma stared at Fitz, the sudden silence in their yelling match only interrupted by the sound of their ragged breaths. She couldn’t interpret the way Fitz looked back at her, his eyes lasersharp as if his mind was trying to come to a decision. She inhaled a surprised breath when Fitz lunged forward, cupping her face and pressing his lips against hers.

He looked fearful when he suddenly let go, taking a step back, his gaze wandering to the ground as he mumbled a breathless, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

It took Jemma a moment to bring her racing thoughts in order. “Yes, yes you should have,” she said confidently. “If I’m the love of your life, then you should have, because you’re the love of mine and—”

Fitz fanned his arms to the side, his voice back to high-volume frustration. “So what? Nothing’s different, Jemma.”

“Everything is different!” Jemma yelled back, her heart racing with urgency and determination. “I could move. I could move to where you are and we could start over, we could be—”

“Right,” Fitz placed his hands on his hips, nodding sarcastically. “‘Cause that worked so well the last time? Giving up everything—”

“It would be different.”

“How? How would it be different?” Fitz exclaimed, gesturing at Jemma, waiting for her reply.

“Because when you followed me to Africa, you _did _leave everything behind, on a moment’s notice—your friends, your work, your life, and you had nothing waiting for you on the other side except for me and I barely had time for you because of my job. You were lonely and miserable, and we tried but it wasn’t enough, and you knew long distance wouldn’t have worked long term. It wouldn’t have, and that opportunity was too good for me to give up and you knew that, too, and so—” Jemma paused, trying to reel in the flood of words that so desperately wanted to spill out. She lifted her shoulders to her ears. “But I wouldn’t be leaving _anything _behind, Fitz. I’m done with Africa. I can’t go back there. I don’t want to. And look at me,” she pressed one hand against her chest, raising the other pleadingly. “I work at a pet clinic in Melbourne with cats, guinea pigs, and hamsters, surrounded by traffic and noise. I took that job because I couldn’t do anything else at the time. I wasn’t ready. Physically, mentally, I wasn’t ready. But this isn’t me. You know it’s not me. I’m a country vet, and you live in the country, you work at a farm. I would contact every vet in the district to get a job. I wouldn’t be leaving anything behind, Fitz. My friends are scattered around the globe anyways. My parents are in Sheffield, and I would see them just as frequently as I do now. And Hunter is here, much closer to your place than Melbourne or Africa. I wouldn’t lose _anything_, I could only gain!”

Fitz bit his lower lip, both hands once again placed on his hips, shaking his head slightly. “I lost you once,” he said quietly. “And I know that was my choice but I can’t do that again.”

Jemma dropped her shoulders, trying to stifle a sob. “You wouldn’t have to. _We _wouldn’t have to, Fitz. Please, if you love me, if you want to be with me, then believe me—believe me and let me do this and—”

His lips crashing against hers interrupted her plea, but this time he didn’t break away, he didn’t apologize. He deepened the kiss, his tongue eagerly wanting to dance with hers.

It was Jemma who broke the kiss this time, breathlessly staring at him, unable to hide the tears in her eyes. “I love you, Fitz. I missed you so much. You have no idea how many times I thought of ringing you up. How many times I—”

A smile flashed across his face, his thumbs gently caressing the skin below her eyes. “I love you, too,” he whispered, before kissing her again, softly at first, but quickly growing in urgency.

* * *

Jemma tried to shift in the narrow bed, her naked body squeezed in between the wall and Fitz. She snuggled closer against him, her subtle movement causing the old metal bed frame to squeak. “I hope your bed is bigger than this,” she remarked, drawing random patterns onto his chest.

Fitz scoffed. “I’m managing the farm. I got my own quarters—private kitchen, bathroom, bedroom.”

Jemma lifted her head, scrunching her nose. “How decadent.”

He chuckled, before his gaze seemed to wander off to her shoulder and his expression grew somber. He reached over, his fingers gently brushing against the tattoo that decorated her shoulder, as well as part of her chest and upper arm. He studied each detail of the roaring lion, worry written into each concentrated line on his face.

“I got it to cover the scars,” Jemma explained quietly, “but also as a memento. I mean, he reacted on instinct. He felt threatened. I always felt guilty that they had to kill him to get him off me.”

“It’s beautiful,” Fitz whispered, a smile flashing across his face as his eyes wandered from the tattoo to her. “You’re beautiful.”

Jemma laughed happily, before leaning closer to kiss him.

“And you’re sure about all this?” Fitz asked, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Moving in with me? I mean, we’ve been separated for three years. Isn’t that a bit—”

“Well, I’m not saying, I’ll move right this second,” Jemma replied, propping herself up to be able to look at him more directly. “I’ll need some time to settle my affairs, give my friend a chance to find a replacement—but, yes, I’m sure. Do you have a list of veterinary clinics in your district, or should I—?”

“McTurk said something about wanting to retire in the next few years and looking for someone to take over the clinic.”

Jemma smiled. “I’ll start with him then.”

“Her,” Fitz corrected.

“Even better.” Jemma couldn’t stop her lips from pulling even wider.

Their eyes locked, and the intensity with which Fitz looked at her made Jemma’s stomach churn with excitement. She crawled onto him, straddling his hips and kissing him passionately. Fitz’s hands roamed her naked back and somehow he managed to flip her over and onto her back, the bed creaking loudly in the process.

He paused, gazing at her intensely as he brushed her hair out of her face. “Jemma,” he breathed, barely above a whisper.

“Yes?”

One corner of his mouth ticked up. “I love you.”

Jemma cupped his face, happy tears clouding her vision. “I love you, too.”

Fitz leaned closer, his lips softly moving against hers, when a knock on the door startled them.

“Fitz. Are you there? Is Jemma with you?” Hunter’s concerned voice could be heard muffled.

Fitz propped himself up, looking at the door in panic. “Yes, yes, she is, but for the love of god, don’t—” The door flung open, drowning out the rest of Fitz’s plea. “—come in.”

“Look mate, I’m really sorry we didn’t tell you but—” Hunter stopped in his tracks, his hands still raised apologetically, but his eyes wide as plates. “Well, that’s unexpected.”

Jemma tried in vain to suppress a laugh, while Fitz’s head dropped down and he shut his eyes tightly, raising one hand to cover them even further.

“Why are _you _covering your eyes,” Hunter gestured at himself. “_I’m _the one who won’t be able to unsee this.”

Jemma couldn’t help but burst out in laughter, while Fitz’s hand shot to the side, as he barked “Get out!” with his eyes still shut.

“Alright, alright.” Hunter backed out slowly, his hands once again raised in a soothing gesture. He closed the door halfway before pushing it back open. “We were planning on cutting the cake soon. FYI.”

“Thanks. We’ll be—” Fitz mumbled, but stopped when he noticed that Hunter had indeed closed the door behind himself. He let out a loud groan, burying his face in the nook of Jemma’s shoulder. “Your brother just walked in on us having sex—on his wedding day.”

Jemma combed her fingers through Fitz’s curls, snickering quietly. “He’ll live. We’re just leveling the playing field. Remember when they got back together the second time and we all walked in on them after—”

“I try not to,” Fitz laughed.

Jemma couldn’t help but join in, though her expression grew more thoughtful as the wave of laughter subsided. “He’s not wrong,” she remarked, playing with the soft curls at the nape of his neck.

“Hmm?” Fitz furrowed his brow in confusion.

“It was unexpected.”

Fitz looked at her softly, one corner of his mouth ticked up. “In a good way?” he asked, a hint of nervousness lacing his tone.

Jemma beamed back at him. “In a very good way.”

Fitz sighed in relief before he leaned closer, kissing her softly. “Think we’ll ever live this down?”

Jemma shrugged. “Well, it’s their wedding. They’re about to cut the cake. There’s a honeymoon to go on. A wedding night to be had. Let’s hope that will be their focal point for the time being.”

Fitz chuckled quietly. “Let’s hope.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and commenting. I'm excited to see so many people enjoyed this story.
> 
> I'm not ruling out expanding this universe if there's interest (and if my muse cooperates), either in prequels or sequels, but for now, that's it :)

**Author's Note:**

> If any of the very general setup of the two main characters sounds super vaguely familiar, congratulations, you probably just discovered one of my old guilty pleasures and OTPs (who barely made it to canon before being broken up off-screen... which is why I always tried to imagine how they would reunite and since I have no intentions of actually writing this fic for the original show, I decided to turn it into a Fitzsimmons AU instead... 'cause it may just work.)


End file.
